Petal It Forward

Stein's Ambassador of Happiness Jessi
was spreading joy on Petal it Forward day!

A week ago today Stein Your Florist & Steins at Sunset Florist joined hundreds of other florists across the country with one shared goal:  to spread happiness with the joy of flowers through a nationwide “Petal It Forward” event.

If this is the first you’re hearing of it, you may be wondering, what is Petal It Forward? It's a day where florists randomly surprise people on the street with flowers. Lucky recipients received 2 bouquets – one to keep and one the share with a friend, family member, co-worker or even a complete stranger.

There is a direct like between flowers & positive emotions. Rutgers University conducted a study that demonstrates that the presence of flowers makes us happy – creating instant delight and enhancing our life satisfaction. 

Stein's Ambassador of Happiness Patti
spread a little floral joy with the gas attendant
at Wawa. He was excited to Petal It Forward to
his girlfriend later that day!

As florists, we want people to experience this first hand, so on October 11^th our “ambassadors of happiness” hit the streets with more than 40 bouquets, surprising and delighting the recipients. We shared the message of Petal It Forward and received a lot of smiles & gratitude!

The smiles were not just on the faces of the recipients, our ambassadors of happiness were smiling too, because it doesn’t just feel good to receive flowers, but to give them too, which is why each recipient got two bouquets, so they could experience it all first hand.

80% of Americans say, “receiving flowers from others makes me feel happy.”

88% say, “giving flowers to others makes me feel happy.”

More smiles as this man instantly
petaled it forward to his daughters!

With all the smiles (and even a few happy tears) we were truly touched by everyone that we got to share the joy of flowers with and we are so happy that so many people got a chance to experience flower power first hand. To see more Petal It Forward fun, search the hashtag #petalitforward on social media to see tons of posts from 573 Petal It Forward events across the country.

We’re looking forward to next year! Can’t wait that long? We totally get it! We’re open every day of the year so you can Petal It Forward whenever you like!

Spreading more floral happiness!

Check out Stein's Ambassador of Happiness Dana in this video as she breaks down what the day is all about and surprises someone on the street with flowers!

Flowers make the moment… Let us make a moment for you, at SteinYour Florist Co.

Something Blue

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue... It’s Wedding Wednesday and this week we have your something blue covered.

This bridal bouquet is designed in all blue blooms:  roses, delphinium, iris and baby’s breath. If a bit of blue ribbon on your bridal garter isn’t enough for your wedding’s something blue then this may be the bouquet for you. Sorry, that rhyme what not intentional ;)

If you're in the Philadelphia, PA or Burlington, NJ area and would like to meet with one of Stein Your Florist Co.'s expert wedding consultants call us at 800-887-4013.

Colorful Wedding

It’s Wedding Wednesday and this week we’re feeling colorful!

This clutch bouquet was designed using lavender, orange and coral roses with pops of bright green chrysanthemums and purple lisianthus. We incorporated loops of powder blue ribbon throughout and finished it with a matching bow with streamers. This bouquet offers a fun and vibrant atmosphere for your big day!

If you're in the Philadelphia, PA or Burlington, NJ area and would like to meet with one of Stein Your Florist Co.'s expert wedding consultants call us at 800-887-4013.

Perfectly Pink Prom

It’s Wedding Wednesday again and we’re dedicating another wedding week to a fabulous prom bouquet. As we mentioned last week, prom flowers are getting more and more elaborate and we could easily see them in the hands of brides and bridesmaids.

This week’s prom clutch bouquet is a lovely gathering of gerbera daisies, carnations, hybrid lilies, roses, lisianthus and a touch of baby’s breath. It is perfectly pink; a beautiful match for pink prom gowns or a wonderful pop of color against classic black or trendy slate gray.

If you're in the Philadelphia, PA or Burlington, NJ area and would like to meet with one of Stein Your Florist Co.'s expert prom or wedding consultants call us at 800-887-4013.

Opulent Bridal Clutch Bouquet

This bridal bouquet is so classically beautiful, we can’t believe it took us this long to blog about it! We created this lovely clutch bouquet for a bride with very particular taste and a generous budget a few years ago.

When we think of high-end wedding flowers, lilies, roses, orchids and stephanotis instantly come to mind and this bouquet has a generous gathering of all four of these floral riches. This week’s Wedding Wednesday bouquet is certainly opulent.

We choose the finest white Casablanca lilies, white Eskimo roses, and green cymbidium orchids for this bouquet and finished it with fragrant stephanotis with pearled centers for an extra bit of wedding romance.

If you're in the Philadelphia, PA or Burlington, NJ area and would like to meet with one of Stein Your Florist Co.'s expert wedding consultants call us at 800-887-4013.

Romantic Red Bridal Bouquet

It’s Wedding Wednesday again!! This week’s bouquet is a clutch of romantically red blooms. Red gerbera daisies and red roses with pearled centers are accented by variegated pittosporum and feathery soft plumosa.

We love the elegance of the pearls juxtaposed to the fun nature of the gerbera daisies.

If you're in the Philadelphia, PA or Burlington, NJ area and would like to meet with one of Stein Your Florist Co.'s expert wedding consultants call us at 800-887-4013.

A Bouquet for a Diva

Another Wednesday means we’re talking about another wedding. This week’s Wedding Wednesday bouquet is a bit traditional and a bit modern.

Cascading bridal bouquets are a beautiful traditional style, but they’re not necessarily the current trend. This bouquet is a short cascade, so you get a bit of drama without feeling old fashioned, and the loops of sword fern in this bouquet give it contemporary flair and dramatic texture.

In addition to the sword fern this bridal cascade was created with white calla lilies, star of Bethlehem, white alstroemeria, bits of white hydrangea, bold and beautiful Casablanca lilies, cream carnations, tree fern and a little artificial ginestra. The gold statice throughout the bouquet was at the request of the bride, a self-described diva that said it was her day to shine! A fun addition to an all white bouquet.

White & Gold Bridal Cascade by Stein Your Florist Co.

We love the varying textures of this bouquet and its blend of classic style with modern flair.


If you're in the Philadelphia, PA or Burlington, NJ area and would like to meet with one of Stein Your Florist Co.'s expert wedding consultants call us at 800-887-4013.

Blue Orchid Bridal Bouquet

It’s another beautiful blue bouquet for this week’s Wedding Wednesday!

Blue orchid and white rose bridal
cascade by Stein Your Florist Co.

This bridal cascade was created with blue dendrobium orchids from Thailand and white roses with accents of baby’s breath and foliage. The bride requested to have loops of white ribbon incorporated with long streamers hanging to add another textural element to her traditional bouquet.

While the colors of this bouquet seem a bit wintry, the blue orchids give it a slight tropical feel. These orchids are naturally fuchsia and white; they have been dyed blue with special floral dye that the flower absorbs through the stem, turning the fuchsia portions of the bloom deep blue and the white portions turquoise. They have long been popular here at the shop for proms, weddings and as an everyday floral delight.


If you're in the Philadelphia, PA or Burlington, NJ area and would like to meet with one of Stein Your Florist Co.'s expert wedding consultants call us at 800-887-4013.

A close-up of our blue orchid and white rose bridal cascade by Stein Your Florist Co.

A Petal for Every Wedding Season

So you’ve chosen the date, the venue and the dresses; you know what colors you like, the wedding theme, and the tone you want to set… and now for the flowers. With thousands of varieties and colors available, choosing the proper blooms can seem like a daunting task. Luckily, your local florist is an expert in this arena. At Stein Your Florist Co. we have been assisting brides in these careful decisions for 125 years and our first bit of advice is always the same, choose what you love. Sometimes this is easily accomplished, many popular blooms are available year round, while others are a bit more season specific. It is never impossible to procure out of season flowers, they may be specially grown just for you; however, seasonal flora is typically less expensive and of better quality.

Florists import flowers from around the world, acquiring much of their inventory from South America, California, Hawaii, Holland, Asia, and Africa granting a bevy of beautiful blooms in all seasons. Among the most popular are roses, many varieties of lilies, alstroemeria, bouvardia, carnations, chrysanthemums, freesia, gardenias, snapdragon, stock, gerbera daisies, liatris, iris, lisianthus, stephanotis (a wedding classic), veronica, many varieties of orchids, and tropicals, such as ginger, birds of paradise and protea. These seasonless standbys combined or standing alone create stunning bouquets, centerpieces and venue décor for your wedding day. Consider your colors and theme and have fun designing your dream wedding.

If incorporating the season’s blooms is something you’d like or if the everyday flora just isn’t your scene, then consider the time of year and spice up your wedding bouquets with the finest flowers of the fields. Winter lays claim to stunning amaryllis, asters, daffodils, Dutch, French and Parrot tulips, hyacinths, poinsettias, ranunculus and sweet pea. Much of this flora may sound Springy (especially tulips, hyacinths and daffodils) since we associate them with Easter, but as soon as Spring hits it is simply too warm for these delicate blossoms, but they create a perfect combination for March weddings on the cusp of Spring. Following the vernal equinox we are offered beautiful anemone varieties, lily of the valley, peonies, Queen Anne’s lace, and scabiosa. These flowers offer a wonderfully rich garden feel to your Spring wedding.

Summer brings cockscomb, cornflower, dahlias, and zinnias. Summer blooms are often very bright and fun, they lend a carefree hippie vibe to your otherwise formal wedding. Finally, Fall flora brings us a palette of rusts, reds, oranges, and terra cottas mirroring the trees’ metamorphosis. Summer’s tuberose remains and anemones of a different variety return, with camellia and cosmos. Autumn weddings have a welcoming affect, greeting your guests with a blanket of warm colors and boasting a bountiful harvest.

Your bouquet is your star accessory and one of the first things your guests will notice as you enter your ceremony, it will be in most of your photos and even get its own close up shot. Take time to consider your bouquet and work with your florist to create the perfect combination of blooms. No matter what you chose, the stunning beauty of flowers is always in season.

~

Think you may have you read this somewhere before… It’s possible. We had the honor of originally writing this post as a guest blog spot for our friends at I Just Said "Yes."

How to Make a Paper Flower Medallion

A few months ago I came across a picture of some paper wall art that looked like pretty dahlias and thought… I can totally make that, so I did! I made large ones and small ones and before I knew it I made a lot of them. I brought them into the flower shop and my coworkers loved them! We hung them on a wall in our office and it turned into a pretty spiffy looking bit of wall art.

Over the following weeks our paper dahlias were finding their way into the background of a few of our Facebook pictures and people started asking what they were, if they could buy them and how they could make them, so here’s our how-to (we of course offer them for sale too).


Here’s what you’ll need:
 - Some scrap cardboard
 - A compass with pencil (or something circular to trace around)
 - Stapler and staples
 - Glue (I used Elmer’s, but pretty much any glue works well, especially a hot glue gun)
 - A box cutter or exacto knife
 - A book (or sheet music or scrapbook papers or any kind of pretty paper for your flower)
 - A pair of scissors
 - A piece of wire ~6” (I use 18 gage, but any gage is fine)
 - Something pretty for the center *optional*

Cut out cardboard circles.

Start with your scrap cardboard (I used an old flower box) and use your compass to make a circle (or trace something round). Big circles will make big flowers, small circles small flowers. If you plan to make a few, mixing the sizes creates a fun and interesting look. And though I have yet to try it, I’m sure this craft could be easily adapted to make square or oval shaped flowers. Once you’ve drawn your shape, carefully cut out your circle with your box cutter or exacto knife.




Next select your paper. I was given a large amount of old romance novels that a friend got for free from a local flea market and they’re perfect! I love the ecru color of their pages, so shabby chic, and I don’t feel too terrible about cutting them apart (for some reason the idea of cutting up most books makes me sad… I’m not trying to start another Bonfire of the Vanities here!).


Cut the pages from your book.

The size of the pages of most romance novels is perfect too, around 7” x 4.5” or so, I made one with big magazine pages once and it didn’t look so hot, so if you‘re using a large book, I recommend cutting the pages in half, it will give your flower more petals. Anyway, like I mentioned in the supplies area, any kind of paper will do really, simply chose what you like the look of.
So if you are choosing to violate a book like I did, carefully use your box cutter and run it along the inside of the binding over and over again, removing the pages as you go, to cut all the pages out as whole as possible.






Curling...

Next curl your papers into cones. It took me at least a dozen cones to really get efficient at it and not crinkle my pages.

I made my cones by turning the page horizontal, holding the inside left corner between my left index finger and thumb, and using my opposite hand to turn the page over my holding hand and then I rolled the bottom of the page into a point.





Curling...

Curled.

Then, using my stapler, I stapled my cones along the circumference of my cardboard circle.

Staple your cones to the perimiter.




Make lots and lots of cones.

Once the perimeter was filled with cones I made a lot more cones (no, I didn’t count how many, the number you need will vary depending on how large your circle is) but these I stapled as I went, since my stapler won‘t reach the inside of the circle. Once I have a lot of cones made it’s time to glue.









Overlap your rings of cones.

Get Gluey!

Using my Elmers I ran a bead of glue along the long side of my paper cone, a couple of inches from the top and down to the staple at the bottom. I then pressed my gluey cone to the cardboard, overlapping my first layer of cones. You may overlap them more or less, depending on how full of petals you want your flower to be.





Working my way toward the center I glued circle after circle of cones.



Make some small cones.

Once you are very near the middle and the cones become too long to neatly fit you will want to create some smaller cones. Simply cut your pages in half and roll 5-6 short cones. These can be tricky to roll neatly, but keep at it, they look much better in the center of your flower than a bunch of mangled long cones.


Adding a trinket can be fun!



Now it’s decision time… do I finish my flower in all paper or do I add a fun trinket to the center? When I created lots of these for one wall I mixed it up, some were created with all paper and some I choose an old used halogen light bulb for the center. I’ve been colleting spent light bulbs for years now and I love the bit of shine these add to the middle. You can choose anything really, crystals, an artificial flower, a faux bird’s nest, a glass ornament, whatever works with your décor.


Get gluey again!

If you are choosing to finish the center with some sort of bauble, simply slather it with lots of glue… lots and lots of glue, and press it into the center of your flower.

You're just about done...



Roll a few pages tightly.

If you would like stick to all paper, then I recommend rolling a few half pages very tightly, around a pencil or pen, bending them in half, and gluing them in the center. This creates the most authentic flower look, your tightly rolled pages mimicking the petals at the center of a real dahlia.







Fold the tight rolls in half
and glue them in the center.

Now that you’re done gluing, give your flower ample time to dry, at least overnight. I waited just a few hours once before hanging and I had drips of wet glue running down my paper petals before I knew it!


Also, due to a past cat related smashing incident, I now always dry mine someplace high, where a few select up-to-no-good cats won’t be tempted to take a nap upon them. If you use hot glue, I imagine all this could be avoided, as your flower would dry very quickly.


Phillip Cat:  Known paper flower smasher!!

Add a wire loop to hang it by.

Finally, to the back I took a 6” piece of 18 gage wire, folded it in half, jabbed it through my cardboard and twisted it around itself to make a loop to hang my pretty flower by.










Wall of Paper Flowers

We love this craft, it’s inexpensive, simple, unique, eco-friendly and beautiful! Clustering a bunch together as we did makes a great statement wall or even standing alone it is a lovely piece of art and conversation piece. We hope you give this a try and have fun making your own!!

-Jennifer Kelly


Shopping Green

Upcycled handmade notepads made
from vintage Monopoly game
pieces by Stein Your Florist Co. 

“Our planet, our home is being neglected. Climate change continues unabated. It seems there's a new ecological disaster happening almost daily. This Earth Day it's time to mobilize the planet from the ground up to send a message that the Earth won't wait!”

This powerful statement is from the Earth Day Network, which is committed to diversifying and mobilizing the modern environmental movement. At Stein Your Florist Co. we love the Earth, it gives us the wonderful gift of flowers! This Earth Day, and everyday,  we want to share a few simple shopping tips that are sure to make the Earth happy :)

Complete the loop, buy recycled!



Handmade upcycled greeting card gift boxes
by Stein Your Florist Co.

Recycling is a 3-step process. That’s why the recycling symbol has 3 arrows that complete a loop. The 1st step is collection – that’s when you put your recyclables into your curbside recycling bin or take them to the drop-off center. The 2nd step is manufacturing – that’s when they’re processed into raw materials to make new products. The 3rd step is buying recycled – that’s when you complete the recycling loop. Even better is to buy upcycled products.

Handmade upcycled gift bows made from
magazine pages by Stein Your Florist Co.

Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value. Upcycling tends to avoid manufacturing processes that can be environmentally detrimental and you always get a wonderful product and interesting conversation piece.

Go Green and Buy Handmade!

Upcycled and handmade shirt pillows, reusable
cloth napkins and hand towels, and fair trade journals
covered  in sari cloth scraps by Stien Your Florist Co.

The accumulating environmental effects of mass production are a major cause of global warming and the poisoning of our air, water and soil. Every item you make or purchase from a small-scale independent artist or crafter strikes a small blow to the forces of mass production. We love handmade products… we’ve been hand making beautiful flower arrangements for 125 years! Wonder if Abraham and Bertha Stein realized way back in 1887 that they were part of a green movement when they opened Steins…

Handmade flower arrangement in a
recycled glass vase designed with
organic flowers by Stein Your Florist Co.

Go green and buy organic!

Keep chemicals out of the air, water, soil and our bodies. Have a healthier happier life and a more diverse, healthier, greener planet! We love when we get in organically grown flowers and shop for them whenever we can.

Buy air purifying plants!


Handmade terrarium planted with air
purifying plants in a vintage pickle jar
by Stein Your Florist Co.

Indoor air contamination is more wide spread then most people realize! The good news is that NASA studies found that common houseplants were able to remove up to 87% of air toxins in 24 hrs! The recommendation? Use 15 to 18 "good-sized" house plants in 6” to 8” diameter containers for a 1,800 sq ft house.

Shop antiques, collectables, and vintage items!

Vintage pottery at Stein Your Florist Co.

It reduces the impact of big industry’s creation of new items and reuses or repurposes these wonderful treasures, giving them a second life, and keeping them out of landfills. When we cleaed out a location we used to have on Front Street in Philadelphia we found thousands of vintage ceramics and collectibles that Steins bought in the 40's, 50's and 60's. We are now sharing these treasures... woderful pieces from McCoy, Roseville, and Occupied Japan pieces.

Buying fair trade is socially & ecologically responsible!


Fair trade recycled wrapper purse and fair trade
gourd maracas at Stein Your Florist Co.

Purchasing fair trade products helps producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions & promote sustainability. It advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as high social and environmental standards.

Fair trade telephone wire bangles at
Stein Your Florist Co.

We love carrying an array of unique handmade fair trade products from around the world, including Africa, India, Mexico and parts of Asia. We also make every effort to purchase fair trade flowers whenever we can... it's just the right thing to do and the quality is always perfect!

Handmade all natural soy Wickie
Candles at Stein Your Florist Co.

All the products you see in this post can be found at Stein Your Florist Co. and Steins at Sunset Florist. Stop in one of our stores today to see all our awesome eco-treasures!